


Danganronpa Another Episode: Team 53

by DaDecapitron



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aftermath, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Freeform, Friendship, Mystery, Mystery Character(s), New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Post-New Dangan Ronpa V3, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaDecapitron/pseuds/DaDecapitron
Summary: It was finally over.Danganronpa had officially been canceled thanks to the efforts of the Survivors of V3All they had to do was get out and move on with their lives, right?Well, things aren't going to be as easy as they think. The world outside is full of mystery and dangers and for the unfortunate teens, and they're gonna do whatever it takes to survive the messed-up world they find themselves in.
Relationships: Harukawa Maki & Saihara Shuichi, Harukawa Maki & Saihara Shuichi & Yumeno Himiko, Harukawa Maki & Yumeno Himiko, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Saihara Shuichi & Yumeno Himiko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Jumpstart!

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DANGANRONPA. THAT SHOULD BE PRETTY OBVIOUS.
> 
> This is another episode after the events of Danganronpa V3. I do not own the Danganronpa series so this shit isn't Canon… unless you want it to be.
> 
> This series will also be cross-posted on Archive of Our Own so there's that
> 
> Hope you enjoy this thing that I did on a whim

It was finally over

The Killing Games

The TV Show

The entire Danganronpa Franchise was permanently discontinued.

It involved putting a bunch of Talented Teenagers in a trapped space where the only way out is to kill someone. There was also a bunch of other bullshit like courtroom mechanics that rip off a cooler game series, bonding with people to unlock secret H-scenes with sex minigames, and then bonus modes that have no meaning whatsoever but to play shitty Life simulators.

… Wait, that's not right? Oh well, who gives a shit? Everybody knows what people enjoy about Danganronpa: HOPE and DESPAIR.

THE HOPE TO SURVIVE THE KILLING GAME

THE DESPAIR OF BEING BETRAYED BY YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS

THE HOPE TO STOP THE MASTERMIND

THE DESPAIR FINDING THE HORRIBLE TRUTH

THE HOPE TO GET A SEXY FANSERVICE SCENE

THE DESPAIR OF KNOWING THAT THERE IS NO MALE FANSERVICE

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MALE FANSERVICE!!

(Looking at you fangirls… and boys)

It was a spectacular series that ran for 53 seasons, and it brought a false sense of hope in a peaceful yet boring world. But then that cash cow of a franchise was brought down by the likes of a bunch of kids cosplaying as a bunch of fictional characters. There was also a robot with lasers and jetpacks, but that's not important.

So Danganronpa is finished… right?

Well, here's the thing about companies. What people may perceive as entertainment and art is mere product and revenue for them.

Danganronpa may be over, but Team Danganronpa won't go down without so much as a fight.

Danganronpa was their lifeline… and you don't mess with a Businessman's paycheck...

So shall we begin?

...

...Darkness

The world was pitch black. A young man could hardly recognize anything a few inches in front of him.

Once his eyes opened, he found himself in what seems to be one big computer room. CPU servers covered the walls, with only the dim blue light coming from the monitors.

'Where… Where am I?' The Young man thought to himself. He was drowsy after taking what seems to be one long nap.

The boy had pale skin and a thin slim figure that complemented his frail body structure. His eyes were grey with thick, effeminate lashes.

He was wearing a blazer-style casual uniform with a jacket, pants, and a striped blue necktie. The collar on the shirt was quite large. Despite his appearance, he was quite handsome.

Panic painted his face, realizing what's happening.

This was Shuichi Saihara, the "Ultimate Detective" or at least that was what he was programmed to be by Team Danganronpa.

Shuichi was one of many teenagers who wanted to participate in Danganronpa as a contestant. But one thing led to another, and here he is now.

No longer was he a Fan of Danganronpa… no… He hated Danganronpa to the core now that he was subject to the first-hand experience.

Who could believe that participating in a Dangerous Blood Sport like the "Killing Game" was a bad idea?

Well, not Shuichi, not before this.

Out of caution, he felt his surroundings but stopped short when the cold sensation of glass was in front of him. Panicked, he began to struggle in the closed space that he found himself inside.

"Let me out!" He screamed repeatedly as he tried to punch the clear wall in front of him. His prayers were answered, as the glass began to open. It let off a cool breeze of air as Shuichi rushed to escape whatever form of imprisonment he was in.

He immediately began to look around as soon as his feet reached solid ground. Turning around; he noticed that he was in some kind of Pod before he got out. The pod connected to some machine that took up a majority of the room. Fourteen other pods, including his own, surrounded the large device.

"... What's going on?" He muttered to himself before a sharp pain in his brain caused the poor kid to kneel in agony.

… He remembered.

He remembered everything that happened to him: The Killing Game, The Truth of the outside world, his friends, all of it flooded back to him in an instant.

"... Oh right, we just beat the Killing Game…" Shuichi pulled his cap down over his eyes. Shuichi slowly tried to get up. He was having a little trouble standing; staying in that Pod for so long made his legs wobbly.

"... This was strange…" Shuichi began to observe the room in greater detail than before. The last thing Shuichi remembered was staring at the destroyed remains of the Academy that he had been trapped inside for so long. He was with the other survivors as they planned on what they intended to do once they left that horrid place. But now, he was in a weird room that came out of the Matrix. How did he get here?

No, that was not right.

He didn't escape the Killing Game alone.

So where were they?

Where were his friends?

Shuichi started to survey the thirteen other pods. A majority of the Pods were empty, all except two pods. Once Shuichi identified who was inside, he immediately began to try and get them out.

Fortunately, there was a convenient "Open and Release" button right next to their pods, so it wasn't hard to look.

The pods opened, and Shuichi tried to get their bodies to wake up. "Maki! Himiko! Are you guys alright!?"

He stared at his fellow survivors, anxious about their condition, but let out a breath of relief as the two girls formerly trapped in their pods began to stir.

The first girl, Maki, came back to reality.

She had red eyes and long, dark brown hair tied up into twin tails held by two hair bands. She had straight bangs that hid her eyebrows, and two small strands of hair that fell at the sides of her head. She had a beauty mark under her left eye. Despite having a slender physique, she had some muscle and strength under that frame.

She was wearing a double-breasted blue school blazer, with white stripes on her lapels, two sets of two white buttons on her jacket, and a blue-and-white striped tie around her neck.

She wore a short, dark, plaid pleated skirt that had a teal overlay. She had dark blue knee-high socks and dark grey inside shoes.

Maki Harukawa was the "Ultimate Assassin" as she was programmed to be. She was a close friend of Shuichi in the Killing game despite her cold and scary demeanor.

The other girl, Himiko, had pale skin, reddish-brown eyes, and chin-length red hair. She also was short in stature and had a round face. The corners of her upper lip were slightly curled up, and her eyes were lazily lidded.

She wore a white sailor blouse with green lining and a red bow, a grey cardigan, a pleated blue skirt, white socks, and black loafers.

This was Himiko Yumeno, the "Ultimate Magician/Mage" as she was programmed to be. She had been through many hardships during her time at the academy, and she too was a close friend of Shuichi.

The three of them looked at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before they broke down and got into a group hug.

"I'm so glad you guys are alright!" Shuichi said in relief.

"S-Shuichi… W-what happened?" Himiko was confused but glad to learn her friends were still here with her.

"We were just at the academy, right?" Maki rationalized as she hugged the two morons she called her friends.

"H-honestly… Not sure." Shuichi broke out of their group hug as he took a seat on the ground. The two girls followed and plopped their bums on the floor; still groggy from staying in the pods for too long. "To be honest, I don't know how we got here, just woke up and found myself here with you guys."

This was strange. One moment they were in a demolished school, but then they wake up in a parody of the Matrix? Those were serious red flags.

"W-We didn't get kidnapped again, right!? We just escaped one hell hole, I don't want to go through another one!" Himiko tried to pull down the air above her head. "Nyeh!? Where's my Hat!?"

Himiko looked around, realizing the signature hat that was usually on her head was now missing. Shuichi and Maki looked on at their little friend when they finally noticed.

"Shuichi… you have your cap back…" Maki eyed Shuichi curiously.

Shuichi looked up and finally realized that his old hat was back on his head, just like before he came to the Killing Game. Realizing what this means, he took another look at Maki and Himiko before making his deduction.

"These are our old clothes..." Shuichi said aloud as he saw his old uniform right on his body. No longer did the three of them have the flashy clothes they donned during their time in their prison, and now they wore the same old boring uniforms they had before the chaos.

But what did this mean?

A room straight out of a sci-fi movie

Old Clothes that shouldn't be here

Mysterious looking pods that were only occupied by them.

What could all of this mean?

BOOM!!

The three kids were brought out of their thoughts as soon as the sound of an explosion went off. It was not too far from their current location, and that was already a concern.

Curious, they all peered through the nearby doorway to reach an empty hallway devoid of people. They looked to both sides of the hall, cautious of what's happening.

Unfortunately, the only thing they could see was two doors. One door on their left, and another to their right. Other than that, it was nothing but ordinary walls. The desolate aura the hall exuded didn't make it any less creepy.

… It was quiet, and that's never usually a good sign.

"... Maki?" Shuichi anxiously turned to the assassin, she was peering at the right door at the end of the hall, with great intensity. If looks could kill, he and Himiko would've died then and there. Maki unconsciously reached her skirt but silently cursed to herself after realizing she didn't have her knife with her.

"Nyeh… I don't like how this is going…" Himiko held the shirts of her friends tight like a scared child. Though, considering her stature, this wasn't far from the truth.

"... Shuichi. Himiko." Maki turned around to address her friends. "Be prepared to run…"

They were quick to question why Maki would say that, but immediately understood the moment the door that Maki was staring at was broken open due to a familiar pair of claws.

"Upupupupu…" A friendly but malicious voice chuckled. Waves of chills ran down their spines.

Without missing a beat, all three of them rushed to the other door on the other side of the hall. They were still confused, but they knew better than to stick around.

Meanwhile, the other door gave way to reveal a large bear that was half white and half black, with a red lightning bolt on the black side of their body. The bear locked its eyes at the group of Teens as they ran away. It merely chuckled as it chased after them like a predator who found its latest hunt. And the worst part was… it wasn't alone.

Just as the first bear came through, more and more came flooding through the broken door like a pack of ravenous zombies. Their laughs echoed across the hallway as they pursued the unfortunate survivors.

So as the three of them ran for their lives from the horde of Monochrome robots. They all had the same question:

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

...

Meanwhile, a bunch of individuals was gathering together for an emergency meeting that Friday afternoon.

The room they congregated was but an ordinary business room, but with only a hint of white light peaking through the curtains, everything inside was shrouded in ominous darkness. The only sounds came from the footsteps as the group went to their respective areas, along with the sound of screams and explosions far below them.

This was the most tragic event in human history: an Emergency on a casual Friday.

There were seven chairs, but only six of them were occupied. The group had mixed feelings on the current subject at hand. The subject of today's topic: Danganronpa.

"This is fucking horse-shit! All of that hard work, all of that merchandise! It's now fucking worthless!" A rude and brash individual kicked back and let out an aggravated sigh. "Without Danganronpa, how else am I gonna get my kicks!?"

"That should be the least of your concerns" A calculated individual was tinkering with an abacus, running numbers through his head. "Sudden cancellations of shows always receive major backlash from viewers. With that shit show, the fanbase is in an uproar. Our sponsors are starting to pull out as well, and if we don't do something, we're going to be in the red in less than two days!"

"Already!? The killing game only ended just a few hours ago!" Another man, who had a fancy scarf, slammed their hands on the table. "Have I gone through time!?"

"No, you fucking idiot! If we could go through time, I would go back and kill those bastards that ruined all the fun!!"

"I wouldn't mind going back in time. Our money tree was just chopped down by a couple of idiots, and there's no easy way to save it. The numbers I'm calculating are catastrophic!" 

"Not as catastrophic than what I plan to do to those damn bastards!" 

"Can you take this seriously!? You damn Jabroni!"

"Who you callin' Jabroni, Jabroni!?"

"You can both shut it for all I care! This meeting has already gone off track!"

The scarf man fell back in his seat and put his hand to his hand. "Riots are breaking out all over the city because of the stupid ending to V3, youse all got any way to fix this disaster!?"

"Hell if I know!!" The brash man shrugged.

"We can file lawsuits on those kids for the destruction of property." The calculated man adjusted his glasses. "Those bastards are still confused, so we can sucker those suckers into paying a shit ton of money"

"What's this about Suckers?" The scarfed man's mind went out of the gutter at the thought of suckers. 

"Don't worry your dumb little head about it. Just leave the planning to the smart one 'ere" 

"Hell yeah! Works for me! Just as long as I get to break their faces!"

"They should still be in their pods, so let's strike when the iron is hot!"

"There's no need."

The three men who had been going back and forth with each other the whole time turned to the others who had yet to contribute to the discussion: a young man who wore an ugly green hoodie, a girl who was busy sleeping, and their boss who had his chair facing away from them. 

"The survivors of Danganronpa V3 have escaped their pods." The hooded man casually told the others.

The three men who were busy planning what to do unanimously screamed, "WHAT!?"

"When the hell did that happen!? Did the little bitch fuck up again!?" The brash man yelled at the hooded man.

"No. It was an order from the boss."

Everyone, except the sleeping girl, turned their heads to the ominous chair that sat their leader. 

"W-What's this about Boss!?" 

"What the hell are you thinking!? I didn't get to kill them!"

"I have to concur with the shameless brute. Letting the contestants out of the pods so soon without proper extraction is dangerous, especially for us! Why did you let them off their leash!?"

Their objections were answered with silence, but outrage changed to dread when their leader snapped his fingers. 

Nearby doors and passageways opened, and several monochrome robots similar to the ones chasing the survivors came into the room, claws ready.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" The leader asked his followers.

The three men who tried to object earlier casually went back to their seats. They answered him with silence, but that was more than enough for an answer.

"... Good." The man snapped his fingers again, and the robots left the room. 

"I am aware of your concerns, but this is something that must be done."

The others looked at him, curious to know what's going on in his head.

"For fifty-two seasons, we have strived to create the greatest entertainment this world has ever seen. When we started V3, we wanted to go back to basics but start fresh with new and bold twists that the audience would never see coming. There were a few hiccups here and there, but we did it. We made the greatest season so far. So why did we crash and burn just when we were about to reach the finish line?"

Everyone else was silent. Nobody was sure what to say, but they knew that they needed to answer. 

"Um... It's because of those damn bastards, right?" The scarfed man nervously responded.

"Yes. That's exactly correct." 

The leader pressed a button on his chair as monitors came from the ceiling. They lit to life, revealing the respective pictures of the survivors of Danganronpa V3.

"They did it huh? Who knew after years of building this castle of financial success, it would all come crumbling down by a couple of so-called 'Ultimates' They must feel good about themselves, considering that they got to play the protagonists in the little story we created." The leader chuckled for a moment. "The thing is, protagonists are fictional. Their role was to play the part they were given from start to end. Fictional characters don't abandon their script because their creators decide their fate."

"W-what exactly are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that, as their creators, we decide what we do with them." The leader pulled out an action figure from his pocket that looked akin to a high school student. "We control how they live, how they die, who they love, and who they betray because we the creators know what's best for their creations."

The toy danced around in the palm of his hand.

"So what happens when these characters think they can go against their creators? Well, the answer is obvious..."

The leader immediately crushed the toy in less than a second. The parts of the figure were squashed and bent in several areas. 

"We teach them a lesson. We show what happens when fictional characters go off the script."

He dropped the remnants of the toy into the ground before stomping it out like a spider.

"They denied our Hope, so we're going to carve the very definition of Despair into their bodies. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone looked at him with stunned silence but quietly nodded their heads in agreement.

"Good. So let's get out there and make those kids suffer. I expect great things from you, Team Danganronpa."


	2. Day At The Museum:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite survivors are running for the hills as a pack of killer bears are on their asses. Just when they think they escape they come upon a terrible surprise...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Hey! I'm Back! Sorry if this took long... for anyone who cares at least. I was honestly hoping for a short chapter but this got extremely complex. A lot more than I expected. This is why there is another chapter right after this one.
> 
> Still, I hope you appreciate the hard work I put into this. I had to do a lot more writing than I thought.
> 
> Shoutouts to my Beta Readers, you helped me out.
> 
> But anyway, let's skip the rest of the formalities and get started.

Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko were not having a good time right now.

They were confused

They were scared

And they did not want to deal with whatever the hell was happening behind them.

They didn't.

All they could do was run as far as their legs could take them.

The hallway was endless as they ran for five minutes straight. There was nothing to impede their progress. It was just a long strip of a hallway that went on forever.

The surreality of the situation didn't help matters in the slightest.

On the bright side, the robots were slow due to their stubby legs. The fact that they decided to stampede in a cramped hallway didn't improve their mobility either. So the kids were able to maintain a safe distance away from the horde.

It didn't change the fact that the monsters were still on their asses, but the fact that their heinies were safe was a blessing in disguise.

Maki turned her head to her classmates.

'This wasn't looking good...' She observed the condition of her friends, and they weren't looking so hot.

They were beginning to puff smoke out of their mouths. They had no chance to take a proper breather, and it was starting to get to them. Especially Himiko, she didn't exercise as much as the others before this disaster happened. If they didn't escape soon, then those damn bears will catch them.

"Everyone look!"

Maki pointed to the distance where the gang saw a sleek metal door. With a control panel right next to it.

"An elevator!" Shuichi's eyes lit up with newfound vigor, driving him to run faster. Though, he was only able to gain a small distance away from the incoming swarm.

"Nyeh… Not gonna make it!" Himiko, on the other hand, was starting to lose wind and began to pant heavily. Her hips were cramped, and she couldn't keep up the pace any longer.

Maki acted fast, and in one clean motion, she grabbed Himiko and strapped the little girl to her back. Himiko held on for dear life as Maki charged at Shuichi before scooping him up in a princess hold. Before he could make any objections, the former assassin shot across the hall like a bullet, leaving the robot horde in the dust.

The two unwilling passengers on the Maki-Train could only brace themselves as they shot across the hall to the door of the elevator. Quickly, she put down her companions before slamming the only button on the control panel: "Up".

Finally getting a small opportunity to catch their breath, Shuichi and Himiko stared at the mob of bears slowly closing into their location.

The door wasn't opening, and they had nowhere left to flee. That only made Maki slam the "Up" Button even more.

"Work, you piece of junk!" She glared at the panel menacingly. It was cute yet desperate how she thought she could threaten an elevator to open.

But then came a reassuring "ding" from the door to signal its arrival. So threatening elevators to move faster apparently works.

Not that they were complaining, of course.

The trio rushed inside of the elevator, and Maki immediately began to slam the "Close" button. The bears were coming in hot.

The doors slowly began to seal themselves shut. The group stepped back to the edge of the elevator and put their backs against the wall, hoping to get even a little more distance away from the savage robots.

One bear could only reach the door with its paw before the door crushed its arm, effectively amputating it. It's severed limb twitched and released sparks before finally going limp. There were a few bangs from the door as those bears tried to get in, but just as it looked like the door would burst open…

The elevator became silent.

The banging ended as quickly as it started.

The three teens sat on the floor as they took a brief moment to rest.

"Well, that was certainly intense," Maki commented, twirling her hair with her fingers. "Are you guys, alright?"

"I wanna say yes, but my legs are on fire. I guess that means I need to work on my cardio." Shuichi joked as he held his legs. He winced at the searing pain his calves were suffering but flashed her a quick smile to reassure his safety.

Himiko was leaning on the assassin's shoulder, leaving a small trail of drool from her mouth. "Nyeeh… I don't want to run anymore…"

This girl wanted a quick nap, but now was not the time for slumber.

"Well, at least you guys seem fine." Maki sighed. She was mildly annoyed by their antics but quietly glad that her friends weren't hurt.

"Ok, now that we have a moment to talk, let me be the first person to say this." The detective had a cold, deadpan stare. "What the actual hell?"

He pinched his nose.

He finally had the time to recompose himself after that disaster.

"That truly was unexpected, but I'll save my disbelief for later." Maki began to comfort the young magician by lightly patting her head. Himiko purred like a cat as she was rubbed gently.

"So what do you make of this situation, Shuichi?"

The two girls turned to the detective, expecting an answer. He was the smart one of this ragtag bunch, after all.

"Well… let me see…" He needed a moment to think.

This day was nuts.

First, they find out they are fictional characters from a morbidly popular franchise.

Then, they shut down said franchise to end the Killing Games once and for all.

And, just when they think they can walk home-free, they wake up in a weird room only to be chased by a small army made up of that accursed bear: Monokuma.

Monokuma was the one and only mascot, of Danganronpa. He was technically a fictional character, just like they were supposed to be. He was not supposed to be here since they defeated the mastermind.

At least that was what they thought.

Anyone pulled into their situation would have second doubts after all.

Then again, after surviving a game of truth and lies...

What would he know about fiction and reality?

He didn't even know what the outside world was even like.

The Killing Game took everything from them: friends, memories, even their own identities, were stolen from them.

And it was all because of Team Danganronpa.

Team Danganronpa...

They are the people who established the Killing Games and made it a popular source of entertainment for the outside world.

At least, until they arrived, and screwed things up.

Shuichi looked over all the mental notes in his head one more time before concluding. "I don't have anything concrete at the moment, but I have a feeling Team Danganronpa is behind this. Not sure how but they're the ones who put us in those chambers in the first place."

That was the only conclusion he could come up with.

He sighed, disappointed by his deduction. He had a few theories for what situation they were in but no concrete evidence to prove his theories. Everything happened too fast for him to utilize his false talent to the fullest. Even if he wasn't a "Real" Ultimate Detective, he felt like he should've done something more.

His answer was enough for his compatriots, though. They give menacing glares over to the mechanical limb on the floor.

"Figures, those bastards weren't done with us yet. Aren't they?" Maki grimaced and began to contemplate ways she could torture those who think they can play with her feelings like that.

"B-But why!?" Himiko, on the other hand, was confused. "Didn't we shut down Danganronpa!? They have no reason to deal with us anymore…"

"On the contrary, they would probably have the biggest grudge against us." Shuichi objected. "We did take out their whole show."

"So, this is all just some elaborate revenge scheme or something?" Maki seethed with a malicious aura.

"There might be more to it than that…"

"What do you mean?" Himiko raised her head in intrigue.

"Simple. The Monokumas gave up." Shuichi turned his head to the door. "As soon as the doors closed on them, they immediately gave up chasing us. It's almost as if-"

"As if they wanted us to come here…" Maki finished the detective's sentence as she came to the same realization.

"You mean they let us go on purpose?" Himiko began to sweat nervously at the notion. "But why lead us here then?"

"Probably the same reason why we woke up here in the first place…" Shuichi got up and moved to the nearby control panel. "They want to guide us somewhere."

"Where is the big question though," Maki commented.

"I have a good idea, but… we might not like what we see."

Shuichi stared at the panel for a moment and noticed that there were only two floors available: their current floor and one above them. Shuichi gulped before pushing the button. The elevator sprang to life and, slowly but surely, began to rise.

The long wait was agonizing for the trio as they saved their breaths for what was to come. When the elevator "dinged" again, signaling their stop, they hesitated for a moment before getting out.

The scene before them was unexpected…

Like walking into a Wonderland during a Civil War.

The three of them took a moment to gawk at their surroundings.

They were in a large hall, adorned with an assortment of gaudy exhibits.

Lifelike wax figures depicting many different high-school kids with fashionable and flashy designs.

Several characters were set in a fancy pose, such as a badass fighting stance or the occasional finger point. Actually, a lot of the statues pointed their fingers for some reason.

Some of the statues included were: a brown-haired kid who lost his shoe as he was running, a black-haired schoolgirl with several weapons positioned to cast a shadow, and a weird man, who clearly had 8th Grade Syndrome, surrounded by model animals like dogs, cats, and birds.

Next was the disturbing artwork displayed on the walls. On each frame, there was a picture of one of those teens dead.

One frame had the picture of a blue-haired girl dying at what seems to be a shower booth with numbers behind her.

Another frame portrayed a white-haired kid. The young man was tortured before he was impaled to death by a spear.

Then there was one picture of a man with the head of a Bull. The muscular man was dangling on the ceiling by a bunch of wires. His eyes bled a vibrant shade of red.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

There were large models of over-the-top executions in a nearby open chamber.

Several plushies, similar to Monokuma, all over the place. Each with minor differences such as color or the occasional costume like a sombrero.

There was even a full-scale model of a Class Trial, with benches and everything. It even had a Monokuma statue prepared to press the execution button.

The largest elephant in the room was the colossal statue hanging over their heads. It was a sinister schoolgirl with light pink hair and extravagant twintails with bear-shaped headbands. The statue's cleavage cast a shadow over the group as they looked up at the sign she was holding.

"WELCOME TO THE DANGAN-SONIAN MUSEUM! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A DESPAIRING TIME!"

They couldn't help but stand around agape at this perverse display of public killing games in educational form. The spectacle of it all made them sick to their stomach, especially Himiko, who tried to hold down her bile the best she could.

They had no words to say for this, but someone knew they had to break the deafening silence.

Shuichi volunteered.

"Well… I guess Tsumugi was right about what the real world was like…" the detective grimaced at the large spectacle in front of him. "The world really was obsessed with that dumb game."

"That's still really hard to believe," Maki retorted.

She wasn't happy about this.

None of them were.

But who could blame them?

It was hard to believe a world would promote a bloodsport such as this for entertainment. But that was the undeniable truth if the horrifying display was more than enough evidence. Either way, it was still a tough pill to swallow.

"... Let's split up and look for clues." Shuichi proposed. Doing anything at this point would help remove the sudden tension from this revelation, and everyone silently agreed with his suggestion.

And so the three survivors started to wander around the museum.

Shuichi was strolling into a room adorned with promotional art for previous Killing Games. While the posters were absurdly stylish, he couldn't help but feel sick of staring at them for long.

"How could anyone ever find this entertaining?" He pondered aloud.

His eyes continued to scan the artwork when one poster catches his attention.

Walking up to it, he sees a giant facility that loomed overhead. The accursed bear's silhouette, along with fourteen other shadows, could be seen in the background.

But the most peculiar part of this piece was that two familiar faces were side-by-side pointing their fingers forward.

The title of this artwork was "Danganronpa V2"

Shuichi scowled as he knew those people in the foreground.

After all, they were in the same Killing Game he was in, after all.

The young man was Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Survivor.

And the young lady was none other than Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer.

The mastermind of their Killing Game, and a member of Team Danganronpa.

'Tsumugi…' Shuichi winced.

Back in the academy, she made them her unwitting puppets.

She chose how they behaved...

How they lived...

And how they died...

But in the end, she was brought down by her creations and killed by her masterpiece.

While Shuichi couldn't forgive the girl for what she did, a small part of him wished she survived...

At least to question her for more info about the outside world. She pretty much left the group in the dark with more questions than answers. Unless they believed everything Tsumugi said to them before she kicked the bucket, they were going through this whole catastrophe blind.

He was also pretty sure that Tsumugi was lying about some of the information. Probably to try and sink them further into despair. He still couldn't believe that they would sign up for that show willingly after all.

But, because there was an entire museum dedicated to this shit-show, he was beginning to have some doubts.

Still, he couldn't be entirely sure until he saw the outside world for himself.

And this museum didn't provide any help in the biggest mystery Tsumugi left behind: the fact she was apparently "Copying" someone.

Who was she copying?

And was it all just for entertainment?

More and more theories filled his brain. But that only made more questions, no answers.

And that was driving him nuts.

"... I got my work cut out for this…" Shuichi muttered before tipping his hat down. "I can't help it. You made me like this…"

A small smile curled his lips as he turned away from the poster. "Goodbye, Tsumugi… I hope I never see you again."

The young detective walked away and continued to survey the hall for any clues.

"..."

From an adjacent hall, footsteps can be heard. Slowly the pace of the steps moves into the room to reveal a green hooded person. They stare in the direction the detective went before pulling out a phone.

"... They're close to the destination, sir." The mystery man answered. "... Understood. Setting the pieces accordingly."

The call ends, and the mysterious man pulls out a laptop before typing.

Though his face was obscured the smallest grin could be visible beneath his hood. "... You were always my favorite Shuichi. Such a shame you had to go down this road... but I guess there's no use complaining. So let's get along again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is this Man?
> 
> How does he know Shuichi?
> 
> Did anyone even expected an update!?
> 
> Find out Next time in...
> 
> "LOCKED AND LOADED!"
> 
> For real this time!
> 
> Seriously this took way longer than it should've. And to anyone who is a fan of "Hotel Kumasutra: Rhe Morning After" don't worry the next chapter is already in production.
> 
> But who's it going to be?
> 
> Find out after reading THE NEXT CHAPTER of this fic! :3


	3. LOCKED AND LOADED!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Exit is right in their grasp, but unfortunately, there is one obstacle that stands between them and freedom.
> 
> Fortunately, this Museum has just the right tools for the job...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Anyone here who is a fan of my Hotel Kumasutra Fic: Do you wanna know whose the next Character?
> 
> Well, I'll Tell You... After you read the whole Chapter.
> 
> Enjoy~

"Hey, Shuichi…"

The young man was staring at a poster that promoted "Danganronpa 25" when he turned to see Himiko walking up to him.

"What's up?" The little girl leaned against a nearby wall.

"Could be better… just thinking to myself." He responded. "How about you?"

"Tired…" She muttered. The young mage was clearly down in the dumps.

"You wanna talk about it?" Shuichi kneeled to meet her in the eyes.

"Nyeh … I guess it would be alright." She put a finger up to her chin.

"So what's bothering you?" He inquired.

"… I'm just done" Himiko looked down, dejected.

"Done? What do you mean, done?" Shuichi stared at her.

She stared back at the boy for a moment and let out a large sigh. "...You know how we were all supposed to die after Keebo's attack?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure how we lived. I just assumed the outside world spared us." The young detective recalled.

"... Was that really ok?" She inquired.

"... Can you elaborate?" The detective was surprised by her sudden statement.

"... well, my Master loved to tell me stories about heroic mages. Who battled evil creatures like Trolls and Dragons. I liked those stories because they were the type of mage I wanted to be, but they always end the same way…" She began to explain.

"And what way do they end?" He inquired.

"The Mage performs a heroic sacrifice to vanquish the great evil and save the Kingdom" Himiko smiled melancholy as she twiddled her fingers.

"Heroes don't normally survive after they sacrifice themselves, Shuichi…" she looked down, discouraged. "The Mage gives their life to fight the dragon, and their journey ends there. The mage doesn't get to see the happy ending, so they won't know if their sacrifice was worth it…"

Himiko was beginning to clench her sleeves tightly. "Back there, when we all decided to give our lives to end Danganronpa, I remembered those stories, and even if those memories weren't real, I felt like the message behind them was more than enough to push me through with it. For Angie… For Tenko… for everyone who died. I was ready to give my life to vanquish the dragon once and for all… but we survived."

"Himiko…" Shuichi looked down.

"The heroes don't normally get to see the ending to their story, and so I'm scared…" The little girl closed her eyes.

"We were gung-ho about what we would find in the outside world but, the moment we stepped out, disaster already struck…" Himiko groaned in exasperation. "... I wanted to be done with Danganronpa already, but even in defeat, the Evil is still not vanquished. We ended the Killing Game but, it feels like nothing has changed."

"So was it truly alright for fictional heroes like us to step onto the real world? Our story should've already ended, and I'm not sure if I can take another Hellhole after escaping the first one…" The young mage gazed at the detective, desperate for an answer.

Shuichi, however, could only sigh at Himiko's statement.

The mage was always a fragile girl. The Killing game had done a number on this girl's heart. Her friends were killed, one after the other. Even when she tried to grow strong for everyone's sake, the smallest bump could knock down this girl's ego back to zero.

This girl had been through enough already, and she was ready to quit. He couldn't blame her. They were all done with anything involving Danganronpa at this point.

But even still…

"Himiko, just sitting around and doing nothing won't solve anything", Shuichi stared at the young girl with a genuine smile. " I doubt any of us would ever want to be put through that sick game ever again. But we already know that moping around won't do us any good."

"I know… I'm just sick of it…" She tried to hold her hat down but remembered she didn't have it anymore.

"Yeah, it's bullshit." Shuichi agreed. "But I'm not interested in letting Team Danganronpa do what they please with us."

"I agree" The two teens veered their heads to see Maki walking up to them. "I don't know what that production company is up to. But, now that we're out, we don't have to play by their rules anymore."

"Right" Shuichi got up. "Unlike before, we're unbound by the rules of the Killing Game. We're not their puppets anymore."

"Which means we can just walk away," Maki added.

Himiko perked up. "Walk… away?"

"Yeah, walk away. If they intend to stop us, we'll deal with them. Appropriately." Maki calmly declared.

Her calm demeanor did little to hide the bloodlust.

In fact, her malice was so potent that she was practically oozing hatred.

It was scary.

"Just… don't murder anyone Maki…" Shuichi nervously advised.

"Tch… Fine." The assassin bit her thumb, irritated. "Anyway, I think I found a way out of this oversaturated landscape. Let's bail before I tear this place apart."

"You and me both…" the detective chuckled. "Come on, Himiko."

"Nyeh…" The mage slowly got up. "Alright…'

" Oh, and Himiko…" Shuichi turned to face the young girl.

"Nyeh?" Himiko eyed the detective, curious about what he was doing before a familiar black cap adorned her head.

"You looked uncomfortable without your hat so, I'll let you use mine for now…" Shuichi gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Please take care of it."

"... Ok." Himiko tugged the cap down to hide her face. Having something on her little head gave her comfort.

Her companions were right.

She couldn't stop her journey here.

She may have been a hero in someone else's story, but that didn't change the fact that she deserves to see the Happy Ending.

The outside world gave her this chance, so she should seize it.

Her eyes met with the detective with his face, and ahoge, now in full view. She almost forgot how handsome the young detective looked without his hat.

It was a shame he wasn't a girl.

Then maybe she would've...

"No... Not likely..." she softly muttered to herself before catching up.

The gang trekked across the halls, following the young assassin to find an escape from this cesspool of glorified media.

But the entire building was like some maze. There were passages after passages, rooms after rooms, all decorated in unusual displays. They had to stick close to each other. Otherwise, they would be separated in this garish labyrinth.

The group passed by many bizarre exhibits, quietly observing their surroundings. They came across an entire room full of mono-mono machine items, a wall dedicated to ahoges, and even an entire gallery of unmentionables.

They had to look away in embarrassment at that last one.

Eventually, they stopped when they came across a three-way path.

On the first path, they saw what was essentially a large gift shop that had nothing but Danganronpa merchandise.

T-shirts, keychains, plushies, you name it, and it was there.

Unfortunately, that was a dead-end and didn't have any exits.

On the next path, the group noticed several bloody items and weapons stored in glass display cases. They could see swords, spears, bludgeoning tools, and many other forms of malicious trinkets. The group surmised that it was probably some weapon exhibit for all of the murders on Danganronpa.

That place didn't have an exit either, so it was a no go.

Then there was the final path.

A large, barren hallway that had nothing but empty display cases and unused exhibit stands. They walked closer and saw that the entrance to this area was barricaded by mere stanchion posts.

Maki walked up to one of the posts with a visible sign and saw that it said "Coming Soon" on it. Curious, she leads the others under the belts to figure out what this room was supposed to be.

But when they looked up at a nearby wall that they saw it.

The distinguishable Danganronpa logo with "V3" next to it.

After looking at that, nobody desired to spell out what this room was supposed to be.

And that sent a chill across their spines.

"... Let's go." Maki moved ahead of the others as they shortly caught up. She was still shaken up by everything she has witnessed, but the cold demeanor she was implanted with helped calm her nerves. There were some perks to being the Ultimate Assassin, even if it wasn't her real identity.

"H-Hey guys!" Himiko silently screamed.

The two taller teens looked at the little girl. She seemed uncharacteristically excited. "I-I think I see the exit!"

"You serious?" Shuichi's hair perked up in interest.

They glanced to where she indicated and noticed a small hallway with signs overhead that signified a restroom.

And also a Fire Escape Door.

"We did it!" Himiko jumped for joy. "We're home free!"

"Wait!" Maki glared at her with a look that could kill.

The celebration was cut short.

"Nyeh!?" The little mage knew that now was a time to be quiet.

"...Sorry." Maki sighed and lowered her head. " I get that we want out but, let's think about this. Doesn't this seems a little too easy, don't you think?"

"...What do you mean?" Himiko lowered the cap on her head to hide her eyes.

"I mean that it's weird that this whole place was empty," Maki explained. "Ever since we got out of that elevator, we haven't seen a single soul. Don't you think that's weird?"

"... Yeah. I do." Shuichi nodded. "Danganronpa is supposed to be a popular franchise in this world, so this place should be crowded with people."

"Maybe they're closed?" Himiko added.

"That would make sense but…" Shuichi rubbed his chin. "That wouldn't explain why we didn't see any guards here."

"Nyeh?" Her eyes widened. "Now that you mention it…"

"Museums normally have security guards patrolling this kind of place." Maki crossed her arms. "Yet this place is completely deserted. So either everyone is on a doughnut run or…"

She began to slowly walk up to the corridor before putting her back up to the wall. Her companions followed her example as they slowly crept by the wall. She peeked her head in the hallway, and what she saw proved her suspicions.

Right near the exit, a battalion of Monokumas lined up at the door. They were all doing some weird synchronized dance that was strangely hypnotic in some way.

Maki quickly ducked her head so she wouldn't get spotted. "The exit is blocked."

"Somehow, I had a feeling…" Shuichi closed his eyes and sighed.

"Nyeh…" Himiko looked down, dejected.

Maki bit her thumb in frustration. Team Danganronpa was not letting them get away that easily so, instead of having those damn robots patrol the area, they just decided to hole all their security at the exits.

It was a childish strategy, but it got the job done.

'There are too many of them to fight unarmed. I can probably make it all by myself but…' Maki turned to her friends. 'These guys won't make it…"

The assassin shook out those thoughts. The poor girl didn't want to see them as liabilities. But she knew better than anyone else that these two weren't cut out for combat.

Monokuma was a killer robot, and they weren't programmed with combat talents like she was.

Of course, if they had a weapon like the electro-hammers Miu created, things could be different.

Even an untrained child could harm an adult with the right tool.

If only they had weapons, then maybe-

A figurative lightbulb flickered in her head.

"... Shuichi. Himiko." She addressed her partners

"What is it, Maki?" He looked at him curiously. "You have an idea?"

"Yes." She bluntly responded. "You know how we talked about how we don't have to play by their rules anymore?"

"Yeah?" Himiko wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Well…" Maki began to emanate a malicious aura. "I just thought we could make good on that promise."

"Wait, what do you mean by-"

Before Shuichi could finish his question, the assassin turned around and walked away.

"Maki, where are you going?" The detective immediately followed her.

"Nyeh! Don't leave me here alone!" Himiko tailed her as well.

Her two companions were quick to catch up to her, puzzled at what she was doing. It wasn't until they feast their eyes on her destination that they pulled all of the pieces together.

She was moving towards the Weapons Exhibit.

"You're not planning to fight those things are you!?" Shuichi questioned. "They're just replicas, after all."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Maki glared at him. "And even if they're replicas, they should have enough blunt force to break those stupid robots."

She proceeded to survey the arsenal of weapons around her, hoping to find just the right tool for the job.

There were several peculiar instruments in this makeshift armory: a dumbbell, an iron skewer, and even a broken fire grenade.

But none of those tickled her fancy.

However, at that moment, her eyes noticed a replica sword. The blade's sheath had a scratch on it and, the gold foil was scraped off.

At first glance, it didn't look valuable… except for her.

The assassin sneered, yanking the nearest object, a stepladder, and chucked it at the display case.

The glass shattered upon impact, leaving the blade wide open for the taking.

But the moment she grabbed it, a loud ringing echoed across the building.

Shuichi and Himiko could only stand agape at what she just did.

She tripped the building alarms.

And that could only mean one thing…

The pitter-patter of feet rushing to their area only confirmed their suspicions.

They were coming.

The Monokumas were coming.

"If you guys don't wanna die, I suggest you follow my lead," Maki advised.

She gripped the katana tight; her eyes filled with bloodlust.

And, without missing a beat, she rushed out of the hall. She was going to scrap as many of those stupid bears as she can.

The robots attack, claws ready to tear the poor girl apart. But the bears have made a fatal error in judgment.

Before the mechanical bears could even lay a finger on her, she drew her blade.

One moment she was in front of the pack, but the next, she was right behind them. The robots only could so much as blink before their heads popped off their non-existent shoulders. The assassin sneered at her handiwork.

Back in the Gifted Inmate's Academy, her abilities were limited.

The rules, the class trials, the Exisals, the entire Killing Game was just one big leash that tied her down.

But this was the outside world.

Here, she wasn't bound by the rules of that Twisted Game.

Here, she could go all out without anything to hold her back.

And considering all of the emotional abuse this bear put her through, she felt excited to let out some pent-up aggression.

More and more Monokumas suddenly began to appear through the adjacent hallways and tried to rush her. Maki welcomed their advances and prepared her blade.

She was going to enjoy this.

"... Maki's kind of a badass..." Himiko muttered.

"... Yeah." Shuichi agreed.

The two kids were still stupefied, by the spectacle before them.

She was trashing the horde of Monokumas.

As if they were mere toys, no less.

Then again, after hanging around with her for so long, they almost forgot that she was the perfect killing machine.

And they had front row seats to the Ultimate Assassin's carnage.

It was frighteningly brutal, and they almost felt sorry for the monochrome bears.

Almost.

Their stupor would be broken, by the alarming sound of footsteps right above them.

They look up in horror as a Monokuma pops out of the overhead vent.

The bear drops in, narrowly avoiding the two kids as they jump away from the landing zone.

Himiko lunges beneath a table display, away from the robot's line of sight. Shuichi finds himself a few feet in front of the killer bear.

The detective grimaced. He should have realized standing around on a battlefield was a stupid idea.

The monokuma stares at Shuichi menacingly and brandishes it's claws.

The young man didn't need to be a detective to know what this meant and quickly steps back as the bear swipes at his face. The attack barely misses the detective by a hair, almost throwing him off balance.

'This is bad…' Shuichi thought to himself.

Maki was occupied; by the majority of the onslaught. So they were left to deal with the straggler that slipped past her. And he wasn't exactly confident about going into a straight-on fight with this thing.

Not everyone can be as badass as the Ultimate Assassin, after all.

But even then, he wasn't going to offer his head just like that.

Especially to Monokuma.

Shuichi grunted as he began to run around the exhibit to gain some distance away from the murderous bear.

He needed a weapon and fast.

And, fortunately, he didn't have to look far to find one.

With no time to lose, he scrambled to the discarded stepladder Maki used earlier and chucked it at the Monokuma. The force of the object smashed the robot's face causing it to tumble into more display cases.

Effectively, breaking several of the glass cases all at once, freeing an assortment of artillery to use at his disposal.

Smirking, he quickly reached for the nearest item. He was planning to smash that robot into junk-

Only to stare dumbfounded by his weapon of choice. "..."

It was at that point that the robot recovered, albeit battered, and was about to retaliate when it looked at Shuichi's new weapon:

A Plunger

"..." Shuichi stared at Monokuma.

"..." Monokuma stared at Shuichi.

"... Can I get a do-over?" The detective sheepishly begged.

His question would, unfortunately, be answered by another claw swipe, cutting his weapon in two.

The poor boy gulped as he looked at the bear. "... I guess that's a No... "

The bear responded by trying to gouge his eyes out. The detective barely evades the strike, stepping back before the attack reaches him by an inch.

The Monokuma was getting tired of Shuichi's shit, so it immediately followed up with another assault.

And then another

And another

And another until the detective was backed into a corner. The mechanical predator gleefully chuckled as it slowly walked towards it's cornered prey.

Unbeknownst to them, Himiko, who was still beneath the table, peeped at the scene unfolding before her and groaned. "Shuichi…"

The little mage was sweating bullets. Shuichi would die if she didn't do anything. Her best instincts told her to flee, but one look at the helpless detective reminded her that she couldn't run away from this. Gripping the cap on her head, she surveyed her surroundings until she found what she was looking for.

It was a large wooden mallet, decorated with a black, white, and blue color scheme. It had golden font on its side that read "Justice Hammer #4" written in true anime fashion.

Himiko couldn't help but grin. Despite the gavel's geeky exterior, it looked heavy.

And so, Himiko sprang into action. Grabbing the hefty weapon, she lifted it over her shoulder, ready to strike.

With a ferocious "Nyeh!", she hurled herself at the Monokuma and brought the hammer down with all her might.

The bear could only so much as glance at her before its head was caved in. The robot wobbled around before it fell to the floor with a resounding thud.

Shuichi couldn't help but gaze at the young girl. "Himiko…"

She was breathing heavily after lifting a heavy object like that with such force. But, despite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but flash him a smile. "... You're welcome."

"Huh? O-Oh, thanks!" Shuichi looked away and scratched the back of his head. His cheeks had the lightest shade of pink. "You really helped me out there."

"Nyeh... don't worry about it," Himiko reassured him. "If it means anything, I thought you would've kicked ass with a plunger!"

"You think so?" He couldn't help but be skeptical. "I'm still not even sure why a plunger is considered a murder weapon."

"Gonta killed Miu with Toilet paper." She reminded him. "I'm more worried about how they pulled off the murder."

"Fair enough." he grimaced.

Their idle chit-chat was cut short by the sound of vengeful screaming, coupled with the sound of explosions outside the exhibit.

Oh right… Maki was still fighting.

The two of them glanced at each other and nodded in silent agreement before running back to their friend.

They rushed to aid the assassin. But, the moment they stepped outside, they were greeted by an amusing sight.

Maki was standing atop a pile of scrapped Monokumas. Her sword was run-through an unfortunate bear's eye.

She didn't seem to have broken a sweat.

"... Oh, hey guys." The assassin turned to her compatriots as she descended the mountain of mono-corpses. "Glad to see you're alright."

"You look more than alright…" Shuichi remarked. "You seem weirdly refreshed…"

"Yeah…" Himiko agreed. "We barely handled one of those robots by ourselves, but you wrecked them."

"They weren't anything special." Maki played with her hair. "I was honestly surprised how simple-minded these robots were."

"Well, it would be safe to assume that these bears aren't built to be sophisticated as the original" The detective put a hand to his chin. "After all, no human could control as many robots all at once."

"Even so, the number of robots was still alarming." the assassin added. "They probably didn't expect us to survive this time."

"Well, they were wrong." The detective retorted with a small grin.

"Nyeh... this is turning into such a pain..." The mage groaned, kicking a dismembered monokuma head back into the pile. "Let's get out of here before any more show up..."

"Good idea," Shuichi agreed. "But first... let me get something from the weapons exhibit."

His two companions looked at him.

"Oh right, you didn't get a chance to grab something useful yet, have you?" Maki quickly analyzed her unarmed friend.

"Yeah..." He quickly rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Do we even need these weapons anymore?" Himiko inquired, lifting her hammer. "And isn't this stealing?"

"A bunch of robot bears tried to kill us not too long ago," The assassin pointed out. The girl grabbed a dismembered paw and used its claws to sharpen her new blade as she talked. "I think stealing a few weapons for protection isn't as far-fetched as you think."

"Fair enough." Himiko nodded in understanding before turning to the detective. "Alright, Shuichi, go get another plunger, and then we can get out of here."

"Yes, Ma'am," He cringed at her statement before turning away back to the weapons exhibit.

As he left, the former assassin turned to the little girl.

"... What's this about a plunger?"

Carefully avoiding the glass, Shuichi scoured the floor for any decent tools that he could use. However, his search would prove fruitless when he realized most of the items were either too unconventional or busted beyond repair.

'They must've broken during the struggle,' he thought to himself. Annoyed, he decided to take a quick break to recompose himself. This day was just one whirlwind after another, and it doesn't feel like it's going to stop anytime soon.

Right now, they barely survived thanks to Maki's superhuman powers, but the fact that he and Himiko struggled against even one of those bears was a telltale of what would happen if they encountered another horde like that again.

He wanted to believe that this would be the last time they would fight but, he knew better than to make assumptions. So as far as he was concerned, he needed a weapon, something that could break those stupid bears quickly but efficiently. But what should he use? He wasn't good with a melee weapon, and he wasn't confident that he could fight someone up close. He was weak after all, even Himiko could throw him across the room if she wanted.

How a little girl could do that, he didn't know. Though he suspected a certain aikido practitioner was to blame.

So what should he do to cover for his weakness?

The answer was simple.

"Better to use a ranged weapon. A gun or something..." He concluded. It was an obvious conclusion, but an effective one at that. The problem is this display didn't have any good choices. There were little to no guns in the display cases, and Shuichi could tell that these didn't pack any serious heat. Fake ammo was load into the model firearms, so there was no way it was usable. The only other obvious choice was the large spears adorned over what seemed to be a copy of Junko's dead body. Unfortunately, they were too heavy for him. There were no other useful objects he could find.'

'Maybe I should try the plunger again...' He thought to himself, looking back to the dismantled plumbing device. Just as he was about to reach for it, he heard a noise.

He looked up and examined his surroundings for the source when something in the pile of monocorpses started moving.

The young detective shuttered when he saw a surviving Monokuma pop out of the mound like a gopher.

The robot glared at Shuichi but turned its head to the two unsuspecting girls. Its red eye glowed as it noticed how the two girls were deep in chat. The bear raised its paws into the air gleefully, preparing to strike the unsuspecting girls.

Shuichi's face reeled back in fear at the realization of what that bear was going to do. His first instinct was to tell them to get away, but his detective intuition was screaming at him to do something, to take action himself.

But what could he do?

His mind was overwhelmed with fear planting his feet to the ground. His voice failed to come out, leaving him silent.

'What... do I do...?' He racked his brain for an answer.

But, just when the bear was about to pounce, he spotted something.

A Megaphone.

The rational part of his brain told him that this was just another dud.

That this toy wouldn't help him.

But his instincts were screaming at him to pick it up.

So, as a man of logic, he knew what he would do.

TRUST HIS INSTINCTS!

Without missing a beat, Shuichi lunges for the megaphone. He aims it at the monokuma, praying to Atua that his instincts were right on the money.

Fortunately, his prayers were answered when a literal bolt of blue shot out the megaphone. The orb flew straight into the monokuma, and just as it was about to reach the girls, shattering the robot into a million pieces.

The girls turned around, completely caught off guard, astonished by what just transpired.

Shuichi was just as surprised as they were, to say the least.

It's not every day that megaphones fire deadly bolts of energy after all.

And here he was holding one.

"... All Clear?" He nervously asked.

"..." Both girls were dead silent until they started to chuckle.

"All Clear." They said simultaneously.

The three of them suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

After pulverizing the onslaught of Monokumas, the survivors took a moment of respite to regain their energy.

They were all quiet, observing their weapons of choice.

Maki's model sword, a fine blade which was now sharpened decently to a fine point.

Himiko's hammer, a gaudy tool that packed serious power behind it.

And Shuichi's Megaphone.

It was a peculiar device, the way that it can destroy Monokumas. Although he was no Ultimate Computer Wiz, he was at least tech-savvy enough to understand what this baby could do.

This was essentially no ordinary firearm. This thing could fire programming codes with an electromagnetic wave, allowing it to hack into the target's mechanisms from a distance. This gun had several settings for a variety of attacks. Depending on what this puppy is set to, the effect varies.

So the reason why the Monokuma exploded was that the gun was set to "Break". There was one other setting available, but it wouldn't have helped him at that moment. He was silently glad this thing was set to kill before he fired. Otherwise, things would've been a lot messier.

"It's about time we got out of here." Maki stood up quickly, sheathing her new sword away.

"Nyeh…" Himiko groaned. "Do we have to?"

"Staying idle for too long attracts unwanted attention." The assassin stated. "We need to get a move on before more of those bears shows up."

"Wait." Shuichi quickly stopped her.

"...What?" Maki glared at him.

The poor boy shuddered. "I understand that we need to move, but I realized we need to be a little more prepared before we head to the outside world."

"What's there to prepare for?" Himiko asked.

"He means that we need some sort of plan before we leave this place." Maki played with her hair.

"That's right but, not entirely," Shuichi added. "After everything that's transpired this past hour, we've become clear targets for them."

"We're on the run…" Himiko concluded.

"At least until the target's off our backs," Maki noted. "The best we can do for now is to lay low until the heat dies down."

"Exactly, so before we head out. Let's get some disguises so we can blend in with the public," the detective suggested.

"Nyeh? But where are we going to get disguises?" The mage put a finger to her chin.

The three of them all took the time to think before they turned their heads to a nearby area.

The Gift Shop.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Maki smirked as she glanced at her friends

"Well… I guess we couldn't leave without a few more souvenirs…" Shuichi nodded his head in agreement.

"Dibs on any cool hats!" Himiko cheered as she tossed away the detective's cap like a piece of trash. The young girl ran towards the Gift Shop at full speed.

Maki merely shook her head before following the mage. Shuichi, on the other hand, was looking down at his discarded hat. He looked hurt.

"... Is my hat not cool?" He pondered out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will the trio fare in the Outside World?
> 
> When will Team Danganronpa strike again?
> 
> Is Shuichi's Hat Cool?
> 
> Find out in the Next Chapter...
> 
> "WANTED: DEAD OR LIE"
> 
> Coming when it's done...
> 
> Character Bios:
> 
> Shuichi Saihara: The Former Ultimate Detective. Has beautiful eyelashes.
> 
> Current Weapon: Hacking Gun Mk.1
> 
> Description: A significant weapon from a popular spin-off game. The current bullets this gun has are "BREAK" and "MOVE".
> 
> Maki Harukawa: The Former Ultimate Assassin. Dislikes being called Maki-Roll.
> 
> Current Weapon: Golden Sword
> 
> Description: An old weapon from the first game. The blade is dull and not meant for cutting.
> 
> Yumeno Himiko: The Former Ultimate Mage. Favorite phrase is "Nyeh".
> 
> Current Weapon: Justice Hammer #4
> 
> Description: An old weapon from the first game. It is extremely heavy.
> 
> Enemy Bios:
> 
> Monokuma Units: The Classic Monokuma robot. They attack targets with their sharp claws and teeth. Easy to destroy!
> 
> ...
> 
> Finally, I can get to the Meat of My Story! This is essentially a "What if Scenario" about how to integrate Ultra Despair Girls Mechanics into the V3 Universe. This fanfic will technically narrate how I think a game like that would go with my own twists as well. There will be Stages, There will be Upgrades to their arsenal, and you can be sure to expect some boss fights as well. I even designated everybody's role as well.
> 
> Shuichi plays the role of Komaru. He's the smartest of the trio and what's a detective without a gun. I plan to give him different bullets to make his hacking gun a lot more different than the original. He fits Komaru's role to a T.
> 
> Maki is essentially Genocider Syo (or Jack/Jill if you guys didn't watch the anime or played the fan translation). She works with fast-paced melee attacks and combos. She can unleash her Bloodlust Gauge to Perform Special Assassinations to deal massive damage against foes.
> 
> Himiko is basically Toko Fukawa/Shirokuma in a way that she basically acts like support. When Shuichi or Maki or knocked down to critical health and are about to get killed, Himiko will jump in with her Justice Hammer to save her friends. She would also provide hints, and search for ammo and resources that you don't normally grab. She can squeeze into small spaces to reach places the others can't reach to find levers or secrets as well.
> 
> Oh and in case you haven't noticed: I added a New Fancy Schmancy Cover to this story: I have a link in the first chapter but in case you didn't see it here's another link: https://imgur.com/a/OOIdHPZ
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the story so far, and thanks for reading.
> 
> PS: The next person is Tenko. Bye

**Author's Note:**

> What's going on?
> 
> Who are these people?
> 
> Why is there not enough fanservice!?
> 
> Find out next time in the newest chapter...
> 
> "Day at the Museum"
> 
> Coming whenever it's done.
> 
> UPDATE (January 21, 2021): I got a shiny cover for my story
> 
> (https://imgur.com/a/OOIdHPZ )
> 
> Check it out
> 
> (Hoped you guys enjoy the first chapter. It might be a bit confusing but I hope this doesn't turn you away. Thanks for reading this though, be sure to tell your friends!)
> 
> Shoutout to my Beta Readers: ThunderRyder, Aa, and Elly. You helped me out. Thanks.


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